Hopping parks at DCA closing time

[auntyjenn]

Albort was right. My last question was't well thought out. Once I used the words, "block party bash" in my search instead of "DCA parade" I found a lot more information.

I'm still wondering how how long it takes to hop from DCA to DL if I wait until DCA closes. Should I try extra hard to leave a half an hour or an hour earlier?

 

[HydroGuy]

Albort was right. My last question was't well thought out. Once I used the words, "block party bash" in my search instead of "DCA parade" I found a lot more information.

I'm still wondering how how long it takes to hop from DCA to DL if I wait until DCA closes. Should I try extra hard to leave a half an hour or an hour earlier?

It is very easy to hop. The question is when DCA closes and what is happening at DL that night, as that may make the entry line into DL extra long. The biggest happening which will disrupt entry to DL is the Remember Dreams Come True fireworks which begins formally at 9:25PM but crowds gather on Main Street and the hub 30-60 minutes before.

So if DCA closes at 9PM, and you try to hop at that point, it might be kind of crowded getting back into DL. By 10PM the fireworks are over, and I did this once at 10PM and do not remember it being all that difficult.

If there are no fireworks at DL that night, there should be no issues.

 

[pikaboo27]

IMHO, it's just not worth it to try to get back into DL after DCA closes. Why? Because everyone else is doing it. Combine that with the bottleneck of people waiting for either the fire works or the parade, and it's just not a recipe for fun, happy times. When DH and I go, we make our DCA day the day we go and enjoy DTD. Rather that battle to get into DL, we head on over to DTD and enjoy the music and shopping. It's much les stressful. This isn't for everyone, and if you really have your heart set on getting back in DL, be sure to leave DCA before the parade and beat the crowd. Enjoy!

 

[auntyjenn]

Oh, I should have mentioned, we're going the first week in September and DCA will probably close at 6pm and DL is most likely open until 9pm (and it will be during the week on the day we hop, so probably no fireworks).

 

[Albort]

im right about what?

 

[HydroGuy]

IMHO, it's just not worth it to try to get back into DL after DCA closes. Why? Because everyone else is doing it. Combine that with the bottleneck of people waiting for either the fire works or the parade, and it's just not a recipe for fun, happy times. When DH and I go, we make our DCA day the day we go and enjoy DTD. Rather that battle to get into DL, we head on over to DTD and enjoy the music and shopping. It's much les stressful. This isn't for everyone, and if you really have your heart set on getting back in DL, be sure to leave DCA before the parade and beat the crowd. Enjoy!

Everyone is different here. If we are at DCA at night we almost always hop back to DL. I consider it one of the huge advantages that DLR has, with the parks so close, that you can get in a couple extra hours after DCA closes.

In fact, I usually go into DL before DCA opens, and then again at mid-day when we are taking a break, just to pick up DL FASTPASSes for use when we get back to DL later that night. If we start the day at DL, I pick up several FPs in the morning before it is time to hop to DCA.

And we usually hop parks at least once per day, and sometime several times.

 

[auntyjenn]

im right about what?

I asked about the new parade in DCA, and you said, "What new parade?" Well, you were right that its not really new, and maybe they don't even call it a parade (I don't know, I live in Washington State), but I haven't been there in four years, so it looked new to me. Anyway, I tried to search for parades at DCA and nothing came up, so I used the words 'Block Party' and it worked better.